There are some important things that you may not know about a peanut and tree nut allergy. Some parents wonder why they can’t eat certain foods when peanuts or nuts are not visually present. For example, M&M’s do not have peanuts as an ingredient, but there is a warning stating that they may contain peanuts. Prior to learning of my son’s allergy, he ate M&M’s all of the time and I don’t recall any noticeable signs of an allergic reaction, but now knowing what I know, I don’t give my son M&M’s any longer. It isn’t worth the possible risk of my son eating the bag that may or may not contain traces of peanuts. We have decided to stick to Skippers from Vermont Nut Free Chocolates. They taste the same and they are safe. I know some parents still give their children certain candy with these warnings on them and they also eat peanut and nut products around their food allergic child. These people may think differently if they knew that their child’s chances of outgrowing this allergy decreases each and every time they are exposed to peanuts or nuts. So if your child has little contact and a mild reaction then this still increases the likelihood of them having this allergy forever. People who are not familiar with this allergy are not aware of how serious and severe it can be. There have been reported cases of mild to severe reactions from simply kissing someone who had eaten peanuts or peanut butter, eating at a table where someone prior to you had a peanut butter sandwich, or even simply shaking a person’s hand. Some people do not understand that if they have peanut oil on them from the peanut butter and they don’t thoroughly wash then traces of peanuts can be spread onto anything they touch. Prior to my son being diagnosed, I was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for his playmates. I wiped the knife clean with a wet paper towel and made sure there were no noticeable traces of peanut butter because we had our suspicions that my son was allergic. I cut my son’s plain jelly sandwich with the same knife. His eye quickly blew up like a balloon. I also recall another time when my husband had eaten Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups while at work and when he came home, he kissed our son goodnight. Shortly after, I noticed a rash develop around his mouth. This may sound crazy or an overreaction to some, but try telling that to a parent who lost their child from eating something with traces of peanuts or nuts. I am sure these parents will tell you that the offending food was eaten by their child many times prior without any prior reactions.

Parents and even some allergist don’t realize that even though a child tested low for a peanut or tree nut allergy, that doesn’t mean they will never have a life threatening reaction. It is very likely that your child will first experience mild reactions before ever experiencing anaphylaxis. Some children have mild reactions until they are teenagers or adults. Don’t live in fear, but never forget to always be vigilant when any food is around and always carry your Epipens.

As far as growing out of this allergy or finding a cure, we should never give up hope. There is a 20 percent chance of your child outgrowing this allergy and if they tested low and have only experienced mild reactions then their chances increase. As parents we try to do our best to protect our children. Mistakes happen and you can’t live in a bubble, but we do our best. "A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity; it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path."

This evening, I received a great Epipen pouch from Epi-Essentials. It's called the Accessory Case and this is by far the cutest and most fashionable Epipen case that I have ever seen. It reminds me of a small makeup case or mini clutch.

For those of you that have seen my Epipen pouch, this one definitely puts mine to shame. I like my pouch and it does the job, but it is not attractive and I wish it was a little smaller. One of the main reasons I like my little Epipen case is because it is clear and easy to locate if there was ever an emergency. It also has a hook on the top so I can hang it on my key hangers to keep out of reach of my children. The Accessory Case from Epi-Essentials is so much better. The one I have is Candy Apple Red with a medical alert charm zipper, which makes the pouch very easy to locate. I am also still able to hang this on my key hooks in the kitchen. The Accessory Case is more compact, yet still fits way more stuff than mine. The shape and design is great! There is a top part to put money, makeup or whatever you want to carry. There is also a bottom pouch that easily fits 2 Epipens, your emergency medicines and it comes with allergy action and emergency contact cards, which can be placed inside the clear sleeve.

This case would be worth the investment since most of us will have these Epipens for the rest of our lives. I also thought that this would be perfect for a teenage girl. If you worry about your daughter one day not wanting to carry her Epipen then this would be a great gift to give her. This would be a very cute clutch for dates and high school dances.Enter Code FASG at checkout and get 15% off of your order.For more information on styles and available colors visit:Epi-Essentials.comFollow on Facebook&Twitter.

On the last day of visiting my father in the hospital after his sudden heart attack, my husband and I decided to bring the boys by to see their grandpa before heading back to Michigan. It was the day after Halloween and the boys were wearing their pirate eye patches and hooks that they received from the Halloween Fairy. During our visit with my father, we were in and out of the room walking the halls of the hospital. The boys needed a break every few minutes since they can't sit still very long. The nurses and hospital staff really enjoyed watching and talking to the boys as we passed. There was one particular hospital worker who really enjoyed the boys being there that day. On one of our walks, we passed by this lady who was cleaning a room and she came out with two packages of cookies in her hand. She said to the boys, "Would you like some cookies?", and then placed them in the hand of my soon to be four year old that is allergic to peanuts and nuts. Both of my boys yelled in excitement, "Cookies!". I immediately grabbed the cookies from his hands in order to read the labels (I am sure the lady thought I was crazy). Of course, it stated "Processed on the same equipment as peanuts". "UGH", I said to myself. We quickly got out of view as the boys were asking to eat them. I then explained to them that they may have peanuts in them and was not safe to eat. Luckily that was all that I needed to say to them and they were over the cookies. We continued our walk through the hospital and I was able to ditch the cookies. We then ran into the same hospital worker as we were waiting for the elevators and then my soon to be four year old yelled down the hall to the lady, "Those cookies have peanuts in them and I am allergic." She said, "Oh, I didn't know that." I quickly shuffled the boys inside the elevator. I do have to admit that I was a little embarrassed and felt bad for the lady because I know that she meant no harm and was just being kind. After all, it is my job to inform people of this and not my child. However, my father made me feel better by telling me that even if he didn't know about the allergy, he would have never placed food or treats in a child's hands without first getting the permission of the parent. I guess I was just caught off guard and the kids were so excited, so I thought I could just ditch them and not hurt her feelings. Thanks to my brave and very smart son, I am sure the hospital worker will think twice before giving children treats.My son had his medical alert necklace on and I am hoping that if he would have been lost inside the hospital then a person would have read the necklace before letting him eat the cookies. I also have to hope that the person knows that just because a cookie doesn't have peanuts and nuts visually present then that still doesn't mean they are safe. The cookies were yellow wafers with cream in the middle.Thankfully no cookies were eaten that day and my father is now home from the hospital and doing very well.